While we talked about the top 10 foods that can protect our eyes from harmful sun rays, I’m going to address your skin, your body’s biggest and fastest-growing organ, today.

This is especially important if you’re a kitesurfer or a surfer who’s in the water the whole day: Your skin is being hit by the sun, salt water as well as wind for hours.

It’s cool to look tanned, but if you don’t take care of yourself, you may get discolored skin patches, premature aging (i.e. more wrinkles than you’d like), dry skin, or in worst cases, skin cancer.

And the best way to enjoy the sun and minimize its damage is “prevention.” This means avoiding the sun during peak hours (i.e. 10AM – 4PM) and slathering on safe sunscreen.

If you’re a health nut, I’m sure you know that what you eat will affect your skin significantly, and that fruit and vegetables have lots of antioxidants that can fortify your skin against the harmful UV rays.

But what about tropical fruits? You probably see these healthy fruits around when you’re traveling to exotic beaches and tropical places such as Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, Hawaii.

I love tropical fruits because they come in handy when you’re chilling in a remote, exotic beach. Hey, it isn’t always easy to find blueberries when you’re in tropical places like Dominican Republic. But there are truck loads of mangoes there!

And, don’t underestimate these tropical fruits. While they are not famous as “superfoods” like the goji berries, they can probably be your “skin savior” especially if you’ve been exposed to the sun for an extended period of time.

To spice things up a bit for the summer, I’m going to talk about the top 5 skin-boosting tropical fruits that you can eat to protect your skin and reverse oxidative damage.

First off, what happens when our skin is exposed to the sun?

Once sun rays hit our skin, they create oxidative stress, which is induced by inflammation from the sun rays.

When we’re sun-burned, our skin antioxidants undergo depletion. To prevent skin aging, we must replenish our antioxidants to prevent oxidative stress, which is one of the leading causes of aging.

Papaya also contains unique protein-digesting enzymes such as papain and chymopapain. These enzymes have been shown to help lower inflammation and improve healing from burns.

These orange fruits are deliciously sweet with a soft consistency. I personally like Thai Green papaya more so than the orange papaya you normally see in markets because I find the soft texture and musky undertone a bit “mushy.”

Girls, there’s also this myth in Asia that papayas can make your breasts bigger. I don’t think it works, but hey, even if your breast size doesn’t change, you can still absorb all the antioxidant benefits from this amazing fruit!

Countries: You can easily find mangoes in tropical countries like Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, and India.

These purple fruits, with creamy white interior like tangerines, are my favourites in Asian summers. Mangosteens are red-purple and hard outside, while white and soft inside. You need to cut the exterior with a knife before you can access the meat, which is somewhat sweet, tangy, succulent and addictive!

Mangosteens are tropical fruits grown mainly in Southeast Asia.

In Chinese medicine, mangosteens are believed to be the “coolest” fruit of all, which is why the fruit is called the Queen of all fruits. The fruit can counteract effects caused by “hot” diseases such as acne, skin sores, eczema and dry skin.

If you got burned by the sun, I may eat a few mangosteens to boost your skin health.

Countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Philippines

Fun Tip: Did you know that mangosteen rind contain tannin which can help with acne and skin inflammation?

#4: Watermelon

Source: photo.elsoar.com

Watermelon are very high in lycopene (higher than tomatoes!) , which is a red caroteniod that protects the skin against sunburn and skin cancer. Lycopene is also important for our cardiovascular as well as bone health.

This is particularly important because lycopene can protect our skin from sunburn. A study showed that a group of women who ate tomato paste for 12 weeks had a 30% increase in skin protection against UV rays. This is why I chose watermelon over tomatoes given its higher lycopene content and juicier texture, which maybe more appropriate if you want to quench your thirst after a hardcore water session.

Watermelon also come in yellow! They can be described as sweeter than the more common red-flesh watermelon.

Countries: China, Turkey, Brazil…well you can find watermelons in most places these days.

Fun Tip: Lychees are considered a “heat food” in Chinese medicine (opposite of “mangosteen”), which means too much of these little red succulent fruits can lead to sore throat. However, lychees are so delicious during the summer that perhaps a few more wouldn’t be too bad of an idea! Check out our Fusion Salad for a refreshing snack post-workout in the sun!

Editor

My name is Nicole Lana. I’m the Creator and Editor of Nicole Lana Living Media, a wellness lifestyle and digital media website with articles and expert interviews on wellness, nutrition, fitness, romance, and spirituality. Health secrets should be made simple.